Right to fair trial

On 17 August 2016, the Office of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) officially informed Ms. Pornpen Khongkachonkiet that the NHRC could not investigate the facts revealed in a torture report that she and two other human rights defenders had submitted to the NHRC. The Commission claimed that the report failed to provide […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding ongoing judicial harassment of Ms. Sirikan Charoensiri, human rights lawyer and legal and documentation officer at Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR). Ms. Sirikan is now facing accusations of sedition under Section 116 of the Thai Criminal Code, as well as violation […]

Though incidents of accusation of blasphemy are on the rise, it is heartening to note that the police attitude has improved remarkably in handling such cases. Thanks to the incessant and relentless lobbying and advocacy by civil society and rights organizations, the tide has begun to turn in favor of marginalized religious minorities, especially in […]

This week Just Asia begins with an update regarding the execution of mentally ill Imdad Ali. Pakistan’s Supreme Court rejected his mercy appeal, and has set his execution for Tuesday, October 4. The Supreme Court decision arrives despite four United Nations human rights experts having urged authorities in Pakistan to halt Imdad Ali’s execution. The […]

Police and public officials have prevented a press briefing of Amnesty International (AI)’s about state-sponsored torture, saying that AI speakers might be charged for not having working permit. On 28 September 2016, at Four Wings Hotel in Bangkok, Special Branch police officers and officials from the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare intervened at a […]

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has upheld the death penalty against a mentally ill person, Mr. Imdad Ali, thereby overturning a previous appeal and a court decision staying his execution. The Supreme Court decision arrives at a time when four United Nations human rights experts have urged authorities in Pakistan to halt the execution of Imdad Ali, […]

The hasty passing of laws and emergency regulations particularly with the intention of encouraging law enforcement officers to commit acts which amounts to serious crimes is not an unfamiliar practice in Sri Lanka. How Sri Lanka became second in the world with regard to committing the heinous crime of enforced disappearances is an example of […]

On 7 September 2016, the verdict in the landmark case of the Karen people was delivered from the Central Administrative Court in Thailand. It ruled that the authorities did not break the law in burning down six Karen plaintiffs’ properties to forcibly relocate them from the Kaeng Krachan National Park. The Asian Human Rights Commission […]

Senior police were happy to admit the practice of ‘encounter killings’, in which about 2,000 people died in 2015, Human Rights Watch says Jon Boone in Islamabad, Monday 26 September 2016 07.00 BST-Police in Pakistan may be illegally executing hundreds of people each year in fake “encounter killings”, human rights investigators have warned. The term […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the torture of Mr. Asep Sunandar conducted by police officers of Cianjur police resort (Polres Cianjur), resulting in his death. Asep and two of his friends were arrested without any arrest warrant, and were not granted access to a lawyer during their interrogation. […]

What if you woke up one morning and realized you were living under institutions that looked more like mental institutions than institutions of justice? And, rather than trying to bring sanity, the institutions were being run by mad men? Would you run? Or would you stay? What if we somehow took your Stockholm Syndrome away? […]

This week Just Asia begins with Pakistan, where the Supreme Court ordered a week-long stay on the execution of mentally ill Imdad Ali. Despite being diagnosed as “insane”, Ali was to be hanged early on September 20. Due to appeals by rights groups, the Supreme Court will now hear the case on September 27 and […]

By Basil Fernando One more judgement from the Supreme Court, on torture by the Sri Lankan police, was added to a long list of such judgements, when the Supreme Court decided in favour of a petition filed by W.N.L.K. Fernando of Naththandiya Police against officers attached to the Wennapuwa Police Station [S.C.F.R. Application No. 612/09]. The […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned as human rights organizations, including Terai Human Rights Defenders Alliance (THRDA) and Advocacy Forum (AF), as well as human rights defenders and lawyers have been barred from monitoring detention centers and from meeting those detained in custody. The Nepal Police have stopped giving permission to lawyers […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Raviraj Kavichandran a resident of Pussellawa had according to the police, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself on the night of his arrest at the Pussellawa police station on 18th Septemeber 2016. Raviraj’s family members claim witness to him being beaten up at […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding an environmental activist, Mr. I Wayan Suardana (alias Gendo.) His critics reported him to the police for his rejection of the Benoa Bay Reclamation Plan in Bali. Mr. Gendo, who is part of the For-Bali coalition, has consistently refused to affirm the plan […]

An article titled “The OMP – A Flawed Attempt to Deal with Complaints of Disappearances and/or Missing Persons in Sri Lanka” published in the Colombo Telegraph, by M.C.M Iqbal, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission by M.C.M. Iqbal You May Read the Sinhala translation HERE To say that the Office of Missing Persons (OMP)) is a […]

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to the President of Pakistan His Excellency, Mr. Mamnoon Hussain¨ President of Pakistan President’s Secretariat Islamabad  Pakistan Fax: +92 51 9207458 Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk Dear Mr President, The Asian Human Rights Commission is deeply concerned about the case of Imdad Ali, a mentally ill, death row inmate in […]

On 12 September 2016, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) issued the NCPO Order No. 55/2016under Article 44 of the Interim Constitution; it states that all cases involving offences of the Announcement of the NCPO Order No. 37/2557 (2014), No. 38/2557 (2014), and No. 50/2557 (2014), will no longer be tried in Military […]

This week Just Asia begins with Thailand, where the Administrative Court ruled in favor of the National Park officers who forcibly evicted and burned about 100 houses and rice barns of ethnic Karen villagers in Phetchaburi province. According to the September 7 verdict, since the Karen villagers illegally encroached into protected areas, the park officers […]